"Take you along?"
Li Jiayu raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips, an inexplicable spark dancing in his icy blue eyes. He said slowly and deliberately:
"Did your brain get flooded? How could I possibly take you along? Don't be fooled because I kill insects like killing chickens; that's because tactics and tools were used appropriately, and there was a large element of luck involved! Outside the school, it will definitely be much more dangerous than inside! You can never guess what dangers lie ahead. On the open roads, it's highly possible to be surrounded by a dozen Red-Crested Beetles! It's even possible to encounter one or two Flying Dragon Beetles, I don't even have much confidence I can survive myself, let alone bring you along! If you die... what will I do? My heart will ache!"
It would indeed ache. I haven't properly tortured you, my great enemy, yet. How could I let you die so cheaply? In my past life, you hunted me down like a dog! In this life, I will boil you like a frog in warm water, destroying your spirit and body step by step. If you die so quickly, who will I seek revenge from? Don't forget, you damn woman kicked my balls until one burst, forced me to kneel at your feet! What humiliation! A gentleman must avenge this wrong! You just obediently stay alive. One day, I will make every cell, every thought in your entire being imprinted with fear and resentment towards me!
As for what method to use for revenge against Ran Hongxia... hmm, Li Jiayu hadn't decided yet. Anyway, it wouldn't be ordinary means. It was also fortunate that Li Jiayu was too passive regarding matters between men and women, emotionally slow. He simply didn't realize that playing with, deceiving, and betraying a woman's feelings was the greatest harm one could inflict upon her. Otherwise, why would Li Jiayu still be struggling with how to deal with Ran Hongxia?
"You'd feel heartache for me? That's rare... I thought you didn't care about anyone besides Aunt Xiao!"
Ran Hongxia knew Li Jiayu was just saying it casually, but she didn't know why, her heart felt like a green apple – sour with a hint of sweetness, making one smile after a bite.
(This smelly boy... always gives me a sour face, either mocking me or calling me an idiot. Now, just because he said one nice thing to me, I actually feel so happy. Heavens, what's wrong with me? He's just a bit handsome, a bit capable, that's all. Why do I care so much about his opinion of me? Please, please don't let me develop feelings for him! A hopeless chuunibyou like him is definitely not my ideal Prince Charming! Absolutely not!)
Li Jiayu desperately tried to hate Ran Hongxia, unaware that Ran Hongxia was also very conflicted about him, hovering between liking and disliking. It's just that Ran Hongxia herself hadn't realized her feelings for Li Jiayu might have exceeded mere admiration for a hero.
These two were practically natural-born adversaries. When together, they always brought amusement. In the eyes of Chu Xiang and the dozen or so boys busy working, Li Jiayu and Ran Hongxia were simply a match made in heaven, perfectly suited for each other. Otherwise, why would this pair have so much to talk about?
Mm, Li Jiayu is the great hero of Xijiang University, now also a handsome guy prettier than most women. And Ran Hongxia comes from a scholarly family, is the campus belle and student council president. This perfect couple will definitely become lovers, definitely!
If Li Jiayu knew Chu Xiang and the others' thoughts, he would surely fly into a rage! This was simply matchmaking nonsense!
How could it be so melodramatic! How do I and this smelly woman Ran Hongxia look compatible in any way? I never thought about getting together with this humanoid tyrannosaurus, this violent woman who can level a building with one sword strike! If she became my bride one day, I might as well just bang my head against a wall and die!
Seeing Ran Hongxia looking as happy as if she had eaten honey, Li Jiayu shrugged and smiled:
"Didn't we already agree? Starting today, you're my free maid. That means, you're also my private property. How could I not care about you?"
"Who's your private property? That sounds so nasty! I'm just taking care of you a little! Purely out of classmate friendship, it has nothing to do with being a maid or anything!"
Sensing Li Jiayu's icy blue eyes looking at her with a half-smile, Ran Hongxia lowered her eyelashes, a faint blush appearing again on her ice-pure, snow-smooth cheeks. Her soft lips trembled slightly. Her demeanor was charmingly moving, like a weeping willow in the wind, a lotus in the rain, beautiful beyond words.
After stammering for a while, Ran Hongxia finally raised her head and said seriously:
"Seriously... I will definitely go out with you. Whether you agree or not, I have to go save my grandfather anyway. The insects will continue to rampage for three days. Grandpa could be in extreme danger at any moment. I'm really worried something might happen to him. Li Jiayu, just take me along. Among all my relatives, Grandpa treats me the best!"
"This is non-negotiable!" Li Jiayu refused flatly.
"I won't cause you trouble. Take me to Anning Community. It's on the way anyway... After three days when the insects retreat, we can come back to school together."
"No!"
"Don't be like that. We're both going to save relatives; you should understand how I feel... Even if you don't let me go, I'll follow you out anyway. My legs are on my body; I can go wherever I want!"
"Then I'll break your legs!"
"How about this? It's fine if you don't want me to go with you, but when you get to Anning Community, help me protect Grandpa too. Then bring him back to school to reunite with me after three days. Okay? It's just a small effort for you."
"Oh, fine, let's decide on that then." Li Jiayu agreed casually, having already decided to ignore the matter. When he came back and saw Ran Hongxia, he'd just say her grandfather had already been bitten to death by insects.
"Remember, my grandpa lives in Fengming Building, Anning Community, number thirty-two. It's the villa built in a very classical style. My grandpa is healthy and strong, not much worse than young people, his legs are still agile. Oh right, my grandpa is Xie Wenyuan. You should have heard of him, right?"
"Xie Wenyuan? The calligraphy master Xie Wenyuan?"
Li Jiayu suddenly shivered, his dismissive attitude changing somewhat. He truly hadn't expected Xie Wenyuan to be Ran Hongxia's maternal grandfather! Xie Wenyuan was the literary grandmaster of tthe southern provinces, profoundly learned, a titan in the contemporary literary world! His calligraphy reached a spiritual peak, full of righteous spirit; just looking at it gave one a sense of overwhelming presence!
And in the later generations, this literary grandmaster named Xie Wenyuan also shone brilliantly, becoming an extremely sharp "Talisman Master." Whether it was magic scrolls or Taoist talismans, he handled them with divine skill and perfection. Perhaps his combat power wasn't strong, but the magic scrolls and Taoist talismans he created were priceless treasures! His significance to the human faction was no less than three "Heavenly Ranking" masters!
Without this incredibly talented "Talisman Master," the human faction would have struggled even more precariously. And whether Jingzhou City in Hunan province could have held out during the third insect tide would have been uncertain. In short, Xie Wenyuan, like Xiao Wanqing, was an extremely important human powerhouse, considered a spiritual leader. It's just that Xiao Wanqing was the Vice City Lord of Yang City, while Xie Wenyuan was an elder of Jingzhou City.
"You've heard of my grandpa too? Heh, that's even better. Li Jiayu, I entrust the mission of rescuing my grandpa to you!" Ran Hongxia's eyes flowed as she gave Li Jiayu a charming smile.
"This matter... I accept it as my duty. If I had known earlier your grandpa was the great literary master Xie Wenyuan... you wouldn't even need to ask; I would do my best to handle it!"
Li Jiayu put away his previous absent-minded expression, becoming extremely serious instead. Towards this great elder who had worked tirelessly and devoted himself to all survivors of Tianchao, he felt extreme admiration. Even though Ran Hongxia constantly used magic scrolls made by her grandfather to bombard him, leaving him covered in dirt, Li Jiayu found it hard to feel much dislike for this elder!
Of course, after saving Xie Wenyuan, he had to find a way to stop him from giving his granddaughter so many magic scrolls. Otherwise, if he bullied Ran Hongxia one day and made her fight back seriously, he'd be in trouble...
Seems there's another point that's exciting to think about: if I repeatedly embarrass Ran Hongxia in front of Xie Wenyuan, wouldn't it be even more satisfying, wouldn't Ran Hongxia be even more devastated?
Good, decided! I must pull Xie Wenyuan to my side! Even if I don't recruit him under my banner, I must gain his goodwill!
Hmm... calculating this way, I'll have three heavyweight figures around me: Ran Hongxia, Xiao Wanqing, and Xie Wenyuan. When they grow stronger in the future, that will be an extremely formidable force! I don't insist on leading them; just having them as solid backing when I cause trouble is enough!
"Thank you! Li Jiayu, you're the best! I really don't know how to thank you enough..." Ran Hongxia was clearly overjoyed beyond measure, even her clear, bright eyes smiling into crescents. She tugged at Li Jiayu's wrist, moved closer to him, almost wanting to hug him tightly to vent her happiness, but she stopped herself in time, instead reaching out to touch Li Jiayu's Adam's apple.
"No need to thank me. Just be more obedient in the future, don't always argue with me... Er, what are you doing? Don't touch me there!" Li Jiayu slapped Ran Hongxia's hand away, annoyed.
"I will definitely find a chance to repay you... Heehee, why is your Adam's apple so small? And you don't have a beard. The more I look at you, the more you resemble a woman, even prettier than me. Tell me honestly, are you a girl disguised as a boy?"
Li Jiayu's face stiffened. Ran Hongxia's words hit his sore spot exactly. He already felt extremely uneasy about his body. Now, provoked by Ran Hongxia, he naturally became angry out of embarrassment and scolded:
"You're the one disguised as a boy! Do you want me to prove it to you... cough, forget it, arguing with you about this is pointless. Anyway, without my permission, you are not allowed to touch my body! Understood? You just said you wanted to repay me, didn't you see my lips are dry from talking? Go get me a bottle of fruit juice!" As Li Jiayu spoke, even he became flustered. He initially wanted to prove it to Ran Hongxia, but thinking about the aftereffects of "Hyorinmaru," the meridians in his kidneys were still in a frozen state. Even with the nourishment from the life-type crystal core shortening the recovery from two months to one, it was still a one-month cold period! During this time, not only could Li Jiayu not have physiological reactions, but even feelings of love and lust became particularly dull... So, he couldn't be bothered to argue with Ran Hongxia about the cross-dressing issue anymore.
"Okay, going now! Wait for me, Great Hero Li!"
Ran Hongxia very proactively ran to the thirteenth floor, brought back a bottle of orange juice, then returned to the twelfth floor, handing it charmingly to Li Jiayu, even joking:
"Master, please enjoy slowly."
"Very obedient. This fruit juice tastes exceptionally refreshing." Li Jiayu took a sip, moistened his throat, then stopped drinking. He glanced sideways at Ran Hongxia, handed her the juice, and smiled slightly:
"I don't feel thirsty anymore... Here, consider this bottle of juice your reward. Finish it quickly for me!"
"No need, there's still plenty of juice... You drink it yourself. I don't want to touch your saliva!"
"Hey, are you showing dislike for me? I even promised to save your grandpa, would drinking a little sip kill you? Anyway, you have to finish it today! Otherwise, I won't consider you my friend!"
"But... there's really no need for this, eh? That's practically an indirect kiss... It's disgusting!" Ran Hongxia said, troubled.
Li Jiayu watched Ran Hongxia's embarrassed expression, blooming with joy inwardly. He just wanted to disgust Ran Hongxia. That wasn't an indirect kiss, but naked humiliation! Wahahaha!
"In ancient times, sworn brothers had the custom of smearing blood for alliance and drinking blood wine together. You and I have a temporary master-servant relationship, so naturally, there should be some ceremony... Mm, therefore, it's only right and proper for you to drink the juice I've touched."
Forced into a corner, Ran Hongxia finally glared resentfully at Li Jiayu, tremblingly picked up the bottle of juice. Her expression seemed indignant, yet carried a different kind of shame and anger. A strange light flickered in her eyes. She bit her cherry lips with her pearly white teeth. After a long pause, she dared to touch the damp bottle opening with her red lips, then closed her eyes and gulped down the juice. Afterwards, she stuck out her tongue, pretending to gag.
"Tastes awful! All because of your saliva..."
"Aha, why does it look like you enjoyed drinking it?"
Li Jiayu laughed heartily, feeling a sense of satisfaction as if great revenge had been achieved. Even he found it incredible – why did merely humiliating Ran Hongxia slightly make him feel so refreshed that every cell in his body rejoiced? This feeling of pleasure came too incredibly, didn't it?
"Who enjoyed it... I almost threw up! Hope chuunibyou and idiot syndrome aren't contagious, otherwise, I'd be out of luck!"
Ran Hongxia wiped the corner of her lips with the back of her hand, glaring fiercely at the laughing Li Jiayu. She felt Li Jiayu's smiling face was so incredibly annoying, really wanted to stomp a shoe print on his face!
Just then, a classmate came down from the thirteenth floor, saying anxiously:
"Li Jiayu, the situation outside seems a bit off... Could you go check by the window?"
"Oh? Did something else happen outside?" Li Jiayu's heart tightened. He quickly ran to the window and looked down, instantly frowning!